London: The height of women's heels rise and fall in parallel with the economy, fashion experts have claimed. They argue that their Footsie Index can rival the FTSE as an indicator of the country's wealth, media reported.

Julie Donnelly of Very.co.uk, said that he has noted a fall in heel height since 2008. Donnelly said that it gives a snapshot of what is happening in the real economy. Even skirt lengths have historically been an indicator of economic downturn and if what is on offer on the high street is anything to go by, the economy is in a dire state.

A UK website said that the return of the long skirt has previously been a sign of a reclining economy with below-the-knee skirts featuring heavily in designer shops and high street chains during the time of a recession.